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Scen: 5a
Cæcilius & Comastes.Cæcilius
So exceedinge faire, vertuouse, & rich saist yu
Marrye I like thy judgement well, but may I see her
Comastes:
O that you coulde deare father
Cæcilius:
Coulde? I must and will see her, dee see
Comast:
Alass you know you are blinde
Cæcilius:
Alls one for that, vnless I see her, sett yr harte
Att rest, you shall never have her, Dee see.
Comast:
Wretched Comastes what distemper is this:—
Aside
Cæcilius
And besides though I am blinde
It becomes not yr dutye to vpbraide yr father
Wt h any faulte or blemish
Comas:
I muste salve his eares for ye injurye done to his eys.
Aside
Blindeness A faulte or [blindeness] blem̄ish,? tis A Crowne
An honor to yr age: tis gaine to wante
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The eye of reason is mans p[rg]rrogative
That none haue clearer than ye happy[e] few
Whome reverēde age or nature, have deprivde
Of other light: Our eyes lett out or soules
In wandringe thoughts; and letts in vanitye
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By contemplation: So ye scattered rayes
Of ye worlds eye collected in A glass
Growes stronge even to produce ye effects of fire.
What vice can creepe into A blindemans brest
Whose eye is all wt hin? The world is full of
Such fowle defileinge objects yt to shun̄e them
A vertuous man woulde darken his owne eyes.
Cæcilius
Hay day,! what doctrine is this trow?
Why then do you keepe yr eyes in yr head good Sr?
Comast:
That my deare father may not wante A guide.
Cæcili:
But tell me Comastes, may not blinde men
Fall in Love.
Comast:
Yes Sr they may & often doe
Cupide himselfe, nay everye lovers blinde
Cæcili:
And haue you knowne any of them
Beloved againe?
Comast:
What meanes this? heavens graunte ye due prayse
Aside
I bestowed on Facetia haue not provde
Loves arrowes to him.—
Yes sr But very[e] seldome
Cæcilius
Seldome? noe matter, if once why not now? my
Meanes are still mine owne, & since I wante A guide
Comastes to be plaine wt h thee, I intende to marrye
And haveinge entertained that resolut̄on, I know not
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thy judgmente so well approveth of: I gave you both
these eyes and can they do less then choose a wife
for me? Facetia must be mine. Naples is rich in
variouse beautyes, & thou art large to choose, therfore
I charge ye e on that filiall dutye thou prtendst to
beare me, to sollicite Facetia in my behalfe and
be my faithfull advocate.
Comast:
What haue I done now.—Aside
Cæcilius
Will you not answeare me? youle be wise sirrah?
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It is concluded. Father although I cannot
Suddenlye extinguish mine owne Flames, yet my
Piety to obey yr desires shall force me to
Vndertake this taske wt h my best diligence
But Sr you know I am forbidd ye house,
I can̄ot haue accese to move yr suite
Cæcilius.
Stay lett me see.—vmph—O I have it already.
Thou shalt make Lepidus as blinde as I am
Thou shalt disguise thy selfe in ye habite of
A covntrye Swayne, as Villanus, or any of
My tenants, as thou likst best: Imitate his speech
And gesture and so secretly woe
For me thy Landelorde.
Comastes:
A happy plott, this may succeed and further
my designes. O power of love. how dost thou
master Nature?—Aside
Sr if you please, & if yr wisdome thincke it
Meete, Ile about it prsentlye.
Cæcilius:
Doe, doe, good boy, thou shalt make thy old
Father see againe.
Exeunt Com. Cæc:
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